Alonso sets practice pace as Kimi skirts with disaster

Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso topped the times for McLaren Mercedes-Benz in Saturday's final practice session ahead of the Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

At the end of a session extended by 20 minutes after Finn Kimi Raikkonen ploughed into the barriers in his Ferrari, Alonso was fastest ahead of his team-mate, championship-leading Briton Lewis Hamilton.

The Spaniard clocked a best time of 1 minute and 22.054 seconds in the final two minutes of the session run in dry conditions under a blue sky with an air temperature of 25 degrees Celsius and a track temperature of 32 degrees Celsius.

Hamilton was just a 10th of a second slower behind him, and ahead of the Ferrari of Brazilian Felipe Massa and German Nick Heidfeld in a BMW Sauber.

Australia's Mark Webber posted the 10th fastest time.

The session was overshadowed however by the big accident that saw Raikkonen veer right and smash into the barriers at the Variante Ascari chicane after 24 minutes.

The right side of his car was severely damaged and the front right wheel almost broken off. Raikkonen walked away uninjured.

The Finn was approaching the Ascari chicane when his Ferrari appeared to suffer a mechanical failure and jerked violently to the right.

It hit the concrete barrier and slid at high speed along a strip of grass that lay between the gravel trap and the barrier before crashing heavily into the tyre wall.

Raikkonen climbed out unhurt, but the session was red-flagged while the car was collected and the tyre barrier repaired.